


Call Out For Help

by Evie_adams273



Category: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Canon Compliant, Caring, Changing the Ending, Cursed Child compliant, Fear, Flashbacks, Gen, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, M/M, Minor Injuries, Nightmares, Panic Attack, Post canon, brothers and sister, middle of the night, trauma aftermath
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:53:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23085085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evie_adams273/pseuds/Evie_adams273
Summary: After returning from 1981, Albus struggles to leave it all behind. Especially because of one memory. One nightmare.
Relationships: Albus Severus Potter & James Sirius Potter, Albus Severus Potter & Lily Luna Potter, Scorpius Malfoy/Albus Severus Potter
Comments: 7
Kudos: 69





	Call Out For Help

**Author's Note:**

  * For [scorpiusshug](https://archiveofourown.org/users/scorpiusshug/gifts).



> Trigger warning: panic attack/flashback, minor injuries

Scorpius was barely awake when Albus started to thrash around in his bed. But he grabbed his wand, which was always under his pillow at night, and cast Muffliato without a second thought. He then knelt on the edge of Albus’ bed, trying to catch his flailing limbs without hurting either of them.

Albus kept screaming, words mixing in with the sounds. Scorpius tried to ignore what he was saying, tried to ignore the pleas and sobs. He just had to wake Albus. It would be okay if he woke him up and helped him calm down.

He couldn’t concentrate on what he knew Albus was seeing. The memories were too vivid. Every single one of them. Plaguing his dreams every night. A different scene each day. Almost like a book. A sick, twisted, hell novel.

“Albus,” Scorpius shook his friend’s shoulders. “Albus!”

Albus kept moving, faster and more frantically, but he was still unconscious. He screamed more than once, the words becoming more intelligible as pleas and begging. Scorpius kept shaking him, repeating his name over and over. But even as he did, his own voice grew shaky. He started to cry, the salty tears running down his face and blurring his vision.

“Please, Albus,” he half-sobbed. “Please, please, wake up.”

Albus fell limp, and then shot upright, his eyes wide. He was breathing heavily, staring forward though it seemed to take a moment for him to see what was in front of him. Before he did, however, he pulled himself away from Scorpius, tumbling out onto the floor. He stood again as Scorpius went to help him, backing further away.

“What – what…”

“You had a nightmare. Are you okay? Do you need anything?”

“No. I. No. I’m fine. Go back to sleep. I’ll be fine.”

“Albus…”

“Please, Scorpius,” Albus wrapped his arms around himself. “Please let me deal with this alone.”

“I’m here if you need me.”

“I’ll be okay.”

Scorpius watched, his heart cracking as Albus turned away from him. Albus had been growing a little more distant lately, but Scorpius hadn’t imagined that it would lead here. Never in a million years. He tried to convince himself that he was just being paranoid, but it was very little use. He had a bad habit of overthinking everything.

Albus stopped, turning back.

“It’s not you, Scorpius. Honestly. I promise. I’m not – I’m not angry with you. I just – I need some time on my own.” Silence. “See you in the morning?”

Scorpius nodded.

* * *

James knew that he was supposed to be asleep, but it was the Christmas holidays so he didn’t see the issue with staying up to read in the dark kitchen. However, when he heard footsteps, he did put the book down and stand up. He had said that he’d go to bed.

He left the kitchen, turning the lights off, when he looked up to see Albus stumbling through the hallway, apparently unaware of where he was going. He flinched violently as he spotted James, falling backwards a few paces. James went towards him, reaching out to help, but Albus moved further away.

“Albus?” James stopped. “Are you okay?”

“I – I had – yeah – I’m fine.”

“Did you have a nightmare–”

“No!”

“Albus, it’s okay.”

“Please leave me alone, James,” Albus said, but he didn’t sound spiteful or angry; he just sounded scared. “Please…”

James stepped back, putting his hands up in surrender. Albus seemed to relax a little though his shoulders were still shaking.

“Are you going to bed?” he croaked.

“I was about to. Do you want me to stay with you?”

“I’ll be fine,” the words tumbled out of Albus’ mouth, almost as if they were rehearsed. “Honestly. I’ll be fine. Go to bed.”

“I just want you to be okay,” James said softly, starting to step a little closer.

Albus stepped back, hitting the wall and jumping forward violently. James stopped moving.

“Please, James,” Albus said hoarsely. “Please, just – just go to bed…”

James nodded, stepping away again and moving towards the stairs. He didn’t want to leave Albus alone. He knew it was a bad idea. But staying seemed to be a worse idea. If he left, maybe Albus would have a chance to calm down. Maybe Albus would go back to bed.

“I’m here,” James murmured, “if you need me. Al, I’m here.”

Albus nodded, and James walked upstairs. He paused as he reached the landing, listening to Albus pace downstairs.

Things had gotten much worse since James had last spoken to Scorpius, and he knew they were going to get worse before they got better.

* * *

Lily looked up from her book to see that Albus had sat down on the other side of the library. He had a book in hand, but he didn’t open it. Instead, he stared blankly forward into space, his eyes empty, as his free hand trembled violently.

Lily stood, muttering something to her friends and making her way across the room. Albus didn’t look up, and he didn’t even show any sign that he’d noticed her until she knelt down beside him. When she did, he jumped to his feet, stumbling away a few paces.

“Albus?”

“I’m fine!” Albus half-snapped. “Lily, I’m fine.”

Lily looked at him carefully, noting the black circles under his eyes and his general gaunt appearance. She didn’t move closer, but she didn’t move away.

“Albus,” she spoke more softly, “have you slept?”

“Yeah.”

Lily could see he was lying, but she didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t known what to say when they had come back, and she hadn’t known what to say as she had watched Albus fall down what seemed to be a very deep hole.

She knew that he wasn’t sleeping. She knew that he was drinking more coffee than safe to consume, and she knew it wasn’t working. She had no idea whether he knew that. She had very little idea how he was still in lessons in this state.

“Albus,” Lily kept her voice very quiet and very calm. “Can we go outside?”

“I’ve got stuff to do,” Albus gestured vaguely to the book.

“Can I help?”

“Probably not.”

“Could James?”

“There’s nothing wrong with me, Lily,” Albus glared at her, pushing past as he tried to walk away. “Just go back to whatever you were doing.”

Lily reached out towards him again. “Albus–”

“Leave me alone!” Albus screamed. “Just leave me alone!”

He started to run, and Lily wanted to let him go, but he kept stumbling and swaying and she knew he would hurt himself. So she followed him.

She didn’t have to push past everyone, because a path had already cleared where Albus had run. He kept turning to scream at her to go away, even though it made him stumble more. Lily wanted to stop. She wanted to leave him. She knew she wasn’t making Albus feel any safer, no matter what had happened. But she kept following. Because she knew someone had to step in.

It was fairly obvious that he hadn’t slept. He probably hadn’t eaten. He looked like he was on death’s door. Lily wasn’t going to leave him alone.

As Albus reached the library doors, he pushed through a group of incoming First Years, scattering them. They had re-clumped by the time that Lily reached the doors, and it took her a little longer to get past. She wasn’t large enough to push.

By the time she made it out of the library, the entire world seemed to have stopped moving. There were people standing still at the top of the stairs. All the way down to the bottom. To Albus.

Albus was lying on the floor, bleeding from his head.

* * *

Scorpius had known it was coming. It had always just been a matter of time. But that didn’t mean that it hadn’t been utterly sickening to walk into the Hospital Wing and see Albus lying in bed, still unconscious.

He had known his friend wasn’t really sleeping. Saying that he was going to bed after Scorpius and waking before only worked so many times. Especially with the amount of coffee Albus had begun consuming. However, every time that Scorpius had tried to bring it up, Albus had snapped at him to drop it.

But even with that plaguing his mind, and even when he knew it wasn’t a serious injury, Scorpius couldn’t help but feel sick. He had seen it coming. He should have done something. And yet he hadn’t. He hadn’t even been there when it had happened. It was only by chance that Lily had been.

She was sat beside him now, also watching Albus. Scorpius reached out to take her hand to try and comfort her. Somehow. She looked at him and Scorpius felt his stomach turn as he saw the tears running down her face.

“It’s not your fault,” Scorpius whispered. “This isn’t your fault.”

“What happened?” James said from the other side of the bed. “What’s been going on?”

“He…” Scorpius trailed off. “I don’t think he’s been sleeping.”

“He didn’t over Christmas. Not a lot, anyway.”

“I think – I think he keeps having this nightmare,” Scorpius forced himself to breathe. “This same nightmare. I think.”

“About what?”

Scorpius shook his head, trying to say something about not knowing, but even as he did, the images started to flash through his mind. One by one by one by one.

_“Do your worst,” Albus looks her directly in the eye, not letting his gaze waver._

_Scorpius stares at him, silently begging and pleading her to stop. She hasn’t even started yet, but when she does…he doesn’t want to think about it._

“Scorpius,” the voice cracked through his head, but it isn’t enough to stop the cycle. “Scorpius!”

His heart is pounding; his breathing keeps getting faster; his mind keeps moving.

He can’t stop any of it.

_Scorpius doesn’t want to look, but he can’t tear his gaze away. He can’t let Albus get hurt. She can’t hurt him. She’ll torture him. She can’t. But she’s going to. Albus doesn’t move, raising his chin in further defiance. Delphi grins.  
_

_“I will,” she giggles softly, starting to turn away from him._

_Her wand lands on Scorpius, and he lets out a little laugh of relief. He doesn’t mean to. It just happens. Because it doesn’t matter if he gets hurt. He can take whatever pain she throws at him, as long as Albus doesn’t get hurt._

_“No–”  
_

_“Yes!” Delphi shrieks. “As I thought, this seems to frighten you more.”  
_

_“Albus,” Scorpius forces his voice to stay steady, looking at his friend. “Whatever she does to me, we can’t let her–”  
_

_“Crucio!”_

Scorpius screamed out, the memory of the pain forcing its way into his mind. He couldn’t watch this again. He couldn’t experience this again. Not when he knew Albus was still getting hurt. But he had to. Because he couldn’t fight it off.

_The pain explodes through his body, worse than anything he’s ever experienced. And it’s all he can do to try and relieve it, but nothing actually works. It keeps building and building and building until–_

_He collapses as it stops, looking up to see Albus has run at Delphi and she’s thrown him back, cackling. Scorpius watches, struggling to draw breath as Delphi walks towards Albus, sitting down beside him. She places her hands on his knees, smirking.  
_

_“What on earth do you think you can do?” she giggles, reaching up to touch his face. “A wizardwide disappointment! A sore on your family name!”_

_Albus flinches away as she gets closer._

_“You want me to stop hurting your only friend?” Delphi points her wand at Scorpius again, who forces himself to look away and pace his breathing. “Then do what you’re told.”_

_She looks back at Albus, who is avoiding her gaze._

_“No?”_

_She moves closer again, wrapping her free arm around Albus’ shoulder while still aiming her wand at Scorpius. Albus stays silent. Scorpius can’t blame him. Not when they know what the alternative is._

_“Crucio!”_

Scorpius was aware that he was shaking uncontrollably. He had fallen off his chair, curling up on the floor as the tears streamed down his face. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t stop it from hurting. He couldn’t stop Albus from hurting. He could never save anyone.

_And then someone else appears. Craig. Running. Shouting their names. And Scorpius knows something worse is going to happen. He curls into a ball, whimpering in fading pain as Craig says something. As the killing curse is roared and the light flashes across the pitch._

_Scorpius feels the thud vibrate across the ground as Craig falls. He feels like he’s going to be sick. Someone’s dead. She’s killed a student. And she’s talking again. He can’t hear what she’s saying. All he can hear is the screaming ringing in his ears._

_He flinches violently as Delphi kicks him, kneeling down beside him and wrapping her arm around his neck. He can’t draw breath at all, staring at Albus as she hisses things in his ears._

_It’s over. It’s all over. She’s going to kill them. Scorpius closes his eyes, waiting for her to let go of him. He knows there will be more, but he just needs her to let go of him._

_But, at least, if she’s here, she’s not hurting Albus. At least Albus hasn’t had to feel this._

* * *

It was dark when Albus woke up. His head hurt slightly, but he ignored it as he tried to sit up slightly. It felt surreal to know that he had slept without dreaming, without that nightmare.

Even though he knew it wasn’t real, even though he knew that Scorpius was safe and okay, he couldn’t face that dream. Which was why he had started existing on caffeine. And why he was now in the Hospital Wing.

He glanced over at the bed beside him to see Scorpius sleeping, his hand resting on a small sheet of parchment. Albus stood up slowly, stumbling a couple of paces to the other bed. In the half light, he could make out his name on the parchment and he picked it up to read the rest of it.

**Albus,**

**I don’t know exactly what’s going on. I know you don’t want to talk about it. But you need to tell someone. I’m here. I’ll listen. Lily and James are here too. Just, please, talk to one of us.**

**We love you.**

**Scorpius**

Albus felt his eyes fill with tears. He knew Scorpius was right. He had known that much since the first nightmare. But he hadn’t said anything at all because he was a coward. He didn’t want to talk about the end of the nightmare. It was always the same. Every single time.

He picked up the quill Scorpius had left in the bedside table, turning over Scorpius’ note and forcing air into his lungs. He had to write this. He had to start it again. And it wasn’t like he was going to go back to sleep again tonight. He had hours to work up the courage to do it.

By the time the morning came, Albus had written his note.

**_Scorpius,_ **

**_You know what most of my nightmare is. We both lived it. At the end, though, she doesn’t remove her arm from around your neck. She snaps your neck.  
_**

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you, Bessy. For that. And yes, Dorian, I know you probably related to a lot of this on a personal level.  
> Thanks for reading.  
> Kudos and comments much appreciated  
> Twitter: @evie_adams273


End file.
